11 March 2008, 11:21
In Azerbaijan, three journalists detained during a picket in front of the Council of Europe's office
Today, three participants of the journalists' picket held in front of the Office of the Council of Europe in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, were detained by the police. The workers of the press tried to express their protest against conviction of Ganimat Zakhidov, editor-in-chief of the "Azadlyg" newspaper.
Despite the police objections, the journalists managed to hand their petition over to Denis Bribossia, head of the Office.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that the document expresses a demand to Azerbaijani authorities to stop pressure on printed media, release the convicted journalists and respect the country's obligations before the Council of Europe.
In his turn, Mr Bribossia promised to deliver the document to Terry Davis, CE's Secretary General.
Among those who voiced against Zakhidov's conviction were Azerbaijani human rights activists, and Embassies of the USA and Norway. The latter's statement caused discontent of Azerbaijani authorities.
Today at the briefing, Khazar Ibragim, official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, has noted that the reaction of the West to the events in Armenia was "very soft and inadequate." "We can't understand the tough reaction to the events in Azerbaijan. It causes regret. We hope that this sort of cases will not repeat henceforth," Mr Ibragim has noted and called the Embassies' statement to be a display of double standards.
Author: Rafael Gasanov, CK correspondent
